The Child of Prophecy
by Tequoia
Summary: Jiraya was given a prophecy. He would train the child who was destined to bring about great stability or great destruction. That was all Jiraiya was told. As this child grew up, he fell further and further into darkness. He sought peace, but it was twisted and dark. His best friend and lover would pull him out and set him on the right path for his Prophecy. Nagato/Konan


An addition to the incredible Nagato/Konan section!

Goes out to my homie ForPain and his story s/8272026/11/A-New-Path-at-Life

Best damn story on this website that I've ever read! Deserves more readers/favs/follows for sure.

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**_I don't own Naruto or Naruto__ Shippuden_**

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_That apprentice will become a ninja who will bring about a great change in the ninja world. That is what I foresaw in my dream. Either great stability or great destruction, the likes of which this world has never seen. But which of these two I cannot say._

"For just a little while there, I believed that _you_ were the one... farewell, Nagato," said Jiraiya, with a voice full of regret.

Coming out of the genjutsu, after seemingly killing the 3 rinnegan wielders, Jiraiya stood there, with his hand on the handle of the blade that killed his former student.

"It's finally over..." Jiraiya stated, with a voice full of regret. '_Nagato... why did it have to come to this..._' The sannin finally took his hand off the grip, knowing it was a bad idea to dwell on the fate of his former student.

Taken out of his thoughts by a sharp coughing sound, Jiraiya was slightly startled. "How you guys doing? You alright?" the sage questioned, concerned for Ma and Pa.

"Boy, that genjutsu song is certainly hard on the throat, I'll tell 'ya that." said Fukasaku, trying to keep his composure. "And it's really difficult keeping tempo with Pa too, that jutsu isn't easy in any way, shape or form. Damages the throat, stretches the lower jaw 'til it sags, creates _wrinkles!"_

As Fukasaku sighed at Shima's antics, Jiraiya thought it best to at least offer _some_ reassurance, "You have my profound apologies, but at least you can both take a rest now," claimed Jiraiya, knowing how exhausted Ma and Pa probably were.

As the sage walked down the narrow corridor, not exactly sure where he was going, Fukasaku's head perked up a bit, his eyes widening. "BEHIND YOU JIRAIYA-BOY!" croaked out Pa's tired voice, just in time as well. A fourth rinnegan bearer suddenly appeared behind Jiraiya, but he was relatively prepared, bringing up his guard stance just in time, he was still thrown threw the wall at an incredible speed due to the inhuman strength of the fourth character.

The toad sage skid across the water at a high speed, trying to slow himself down and regain composure. The trio, a bit shell shocked, came to a stop and evaluated their situation. "Dammit! I would have lost my arm there if he attacked a second sooner!" exclaimed the pervert, concerned that he almost lost his _precious_ left arm.

"What is going on!" said Pa, narrowing his eyes at the hole in the wall in front of him. "This new one's got a different face than the other three had, he was probably summoned earlier, but we weren't aware of it until now" croaked Jiraiya, exhausted and unenthusiastic about continuing a fight any longer.

"I see... and before they got caught under our genjutsu then..." Fukasaku said, but was taken out of his thoughts as he, Ma, and Jiraiya took notice of six figures leaping out of the hole, all wearing the signature Akatsuki cloak and in posession of the rinnegan.

"The six paths of Pain, in attendance," echoed a calm yet sinister voice, full of ominous warning. Jiraiya could only narrow his eyes as he took in the look of path talking. "Six now?! We have to face six of them?" came the concerned vocalization of Pa.

Shima could only widen her eyes as she noticed something about the paths. "And take a good close look, the three that we just took down are among them too!" Pa and Ma with eyes as wide as a toads eyes can get, continued. "The only thing I can think of is the newly summoned ones must have revived them with some sort of jutsu!" Fukasaku exclaimed, trying to make sense of the situation. "Is there a jutsu that can revive as many as three people when they're undoubtedly dead and gone? Are these guys even human at all?" Shima questioned, bewildered at what they were up against.

"Who knows," came the calm and collected voice of the sannin, "just what exactly are you Pain?"

The six figures of death only stared onward, with eyes unblinking. "That name... is an alias... Pain, is actually a designation that refers to the six of us, as a group," stated the mysterious path, wind fluttering their cloaks and hair ominously.

The sage wanted answers, his mind trying to process what stood in front of him. "But why... why are there six rinnegan bearers?!" Jiraiya demanded, but suddenly narrowed his eyes at the realization. "_You! _You're..." Jiraiya paused, trying to comprehend how this was possible. "I know that face... is that you Yahiko?"

_Ah yes... there was such a fellow once wasn't there. But he died a long time ago..._

"Just what is going on here?! You said that Yahiko died! And those eyes!" the sage said, confusion and hurt evident in his voice.

Like a bad omen, the corpse of the sannin's previous student spoke with disturbing certainty, "you see Yahiko's image when you look at me, you really are his former teacher. But Yahiko's been dead for quite some time, all that remains, is _Pain!_"

"Look! Just quit the word play, tell me why you possess the rinnegan!" the toad sage yelled, frustrated because he couldn't figure the puzzle out. "Just what exactly are you?!"

"We are Pain, that's all." The figure said, finality clear in his dark voice. "We are _God!_" The six paths of Pain leaped into action, intent on killing the weak and exhausted sage.

"Jiraiya-boy! Just retreat!" The Naraka path came in first, but was immediately deflected with a solid block on the sages sturdy forearm, sending him whirling past him, while just after sending a sharp kick to the Animal path that was following up, sending the corpse off to the right.

'_How is all this possible!_' the sage asked himself, then remembered one thing 'Yahiko' mentioned.

'_G-god?!_' Angry, the sannin immediately charged the Deva path with a right-handed punch, one of an incredible power, that was easily caught. "Yahiko! How is it possible you possess Nagato's eyes?!"

Unflinching and perfectly still, the path spoke, as if passing judgment. "Even if you knew, even if I told you... You'd lose!" And with that, the Deva path tossed Jiraiya into the wall to the right, as the Asura path charged up rockets to destroy the intruder.

As the dozen missiles were on the way to their target, Jiraiya was still trying to catch his breath, moving away the rubble he was buried in, unaware until the last moment of the projectiles targeting him. '_Shit! I don't have enough time to get away!_'

And with a massive booming sound, the explosions occurred, but nothing could be seen past the impressive smoke cloud that surely contained the remnants of the God's former teacher. To be sure, he had the Asura path charge up it's chakra cannon, just to make sure he was dead. The blast rocked the ground and disintegrated whatever was in it's path.

The god felt a tug in his cold, decrepit heart. He just slaughtered the man who saved his life, his old teacher, the father he never had. He quickly dismissed that notion, he killed off his emotions a long time ago. Pain knew they could not effect him anymore.

What he saw when the cloud dissipated though, did effect him, if only slightly. "Konan?"

In front of Jiraiya were numerous paper sheets, a sizable, shining paper cone, and a splintering paper wall. Materializing out of paper next to the dazed, but uninjured Jiraiya was Konan, the beautiful, blue-haired, origami specialist that the God knew quite well, she was his angel after all.

"K-ko-nan?" Jiraiya asked, confused, but also thankful, she was the enemy a half hour ago, but now she came to his aid.

Pain on the other hand, besides confused, was having a very different reaction compared to his teacher. He felt betrayed. His most loyal follower, just openly defended his enemy. They've been through the worst of pain together, and she is going against him now.

"Konan... what is the meaning of this? explain yourself _immediately!_" the God demanded, anger clear in his tone.

"Pain..." she started with conviction, but with teary eyes. "You have to stop this," her voice cracked under the pressure of his gaze, the gaze which kept her trapped in his scheme for so long. "Jiraiya-sensei... doesn't deserve this," she said, with a little more anger present in her. "He's helped us both so much and..." she croaked. "He protected _us_... and I will do the same... I will protect my precious people... even if it's from _you_ Pain!"

A flash of emotions flashed across Pain's face, varying from confusion, to betrayal, to anger. "So... you choose him over me then, is that it?" The God questioned, careful to make note of the expressions his angel was making.

"No I-" she paused. How could she stand up to him now? When she couldn't all the time before?

She remembered all she has been through with her Nagato. She realized she hadn't had anymore real memories with Nagato. All that was left was Pain. Pain was what her Nagato had become, and she had been serving him, hoping, one day, to be with the Nagato she loved again, probably when he had achieved the peace he was always striving for, even if it was fake. She would be with her Nagato again.

Perhaps she realized, Nagato was dead and gone, all that was left was Pain. She hated Pain, Jiraiya came before that hideous creature in front of her.

"Yes. I would rather help Jiraiya-sensei than you!" she stated, enraged with what she finally concluded.

A slight twitch of the left eyebrow was all she received for her courage. "Is that what you _really_ believe? Konan... Yahiko's sacrifice will have been in vain. I'm the God who will bring peace to this world! Jiraiya is a stone that must be removed from the wall blocking me to that peace." Pain pointed out, calmly, casually.

Growing even more furious with her beloved's words, she responded. "No... this is _not_ what Yahiko would have wanted! Yahiko sacrificed himself for _real_ peace!" How could he possibly believe this is what her brother, Yahiko, would have wanted.

"How would you know! Just because you use his corpse in your evil technique? Like how you use all six of them!" She cried out, her voice turning soft. "The Nagato I knew... the Nagato I _loved_ wouldn't do this... Nagato is gone, and I'm _never_ getting him back." Tears were in her eyes at this point, she held herself with both of her arms, releasing some of the emotion she has been holding in for so long, the hope she carried at seeing her Nagato again.

"So... you understand then..." Pain started, with assurance thick in his voice. "I am _not_ the Nagato you knew. Nagato _is _dead. All that is left... is _Pain_." The corpse finished, but not far away in the halls of the biggest tower in Ame, a heart clenched.

Konan, at hearing this, felt her soul shatter a little bit more. She knew Nagato was gone, but hearing it from what Nagato turned into, made it that much worse. "The Nagato... I take care of... I _still_ take care of... in that tower... is nothing now..." she croaked, falling to her knees on the water, her ninja skills so refines that she could unconsciously keep her self afloat with chakra. Otherwise she would have fell in.

Jiraiya was in an awkward spot. Both Konan and Pain seemed to have forgotten his existence. The conversation the two were having was also effecting him, but he came to some realizations. '_Nagato is using some sort of technique to use these six corpses? And the Nagato in the tower?_' It clicked in his brain. '_My god..._'

Jiraiya then thought of how he survived. Konan produced that wall that blocked the projectiles, while the cone must have absorbed that chakra attack. He knew he would have died there without the help of his student, he resigned to watching how the confrontation in front of his would play out.

Pain decided that this was enough. "Konan, my angel..." The Deva path stepped forward from the rest, while the rest backed up. The God offered his hand to his angel, she only had to take it. Then they would be able to eliminate Jiraiya and bring peace. "Only two of the jinchuuriki remain, and then we shall be at peace. Why do you oppose me when we are so close to victory?"

Konan only shook her head in what could only be humorous sorrow. "J-jiraya-sen-sensei... is all I have left... I can't lose the last important person left t-to me in this w-world..." She could hardly finish, all of the emotions she was suffering were getting caught in her throat.

Jiraiya's eyes widened a bit at Konan's statement. He recalled how their first encounter in years went.

* * *

_Jiraiya was possessing the Ame guard with his toad subjugation, and walked into the massive room, looking for the God of Ame. Konan appeared in front of him, and wrapped the intruder head-to-toe in paper. _

_Jiraiya took notice, exclaiming his flame bomb technique at the assailant. After it all died down, Jiraiya released the subjugation technique and manifested himself to face the blue-haired girl. The sage's eyes widened, "I was just hoping on drawing out this Pain fella, but I never imagined I'd find you," he paused. "Konan..."_

_The guard who was subjugated rushed forward, "it's really you! You're the messenger-lady angel! This man is an intruder! You should kill him now!"_

"_Leave now and stay away," the angel stated. The guard listened and disappeared, jumping to the left. _

"_It was my understanding that all of you had died?" The sage said, carefully. "First a god, and now an angel? So that means your the messenger to this so called Pain fella," he guessed._

_Konan looked at the sannin with unreadable eyes. "Jiraiya-sensei... leave... now... and don't come back." Konan was worried, if Pain got to him, he would surely die, she didn't want that to happen to her surrogate father._

_The toad sage was honestly surprised, he didn't expect that kind of response. "Hah, well, I ain't leaving until I got what I came for."_

"_Jiraiya-sensei, you _will _die, please... leave now..." Konan said, a mix of emotions present in her voice._

_Jiraiya's eyes widened a bit at that statement. It was then he heard something._

"_Konan, that is enough, I will handle this. Leave, now," came an ominous and dangerous voice. Konan looked at Jiraiya one last time, and this time he could clearly see a single tear fall down her left eye._

* * *

Pain raised an eyebrow. "Konan, stop speaking such nonsense. You have me. Jiraiya-sensei is an obstacle. Obstacles must be removed." He stated ever so calmly. He was confused, but did not show it. Confused because of the strange grip his heart seemed to be in. It didn't matter. He would eliminate Jiraiya and then go to Konoha and collect their jinchuuriki. He moved the paths into formation, Animal, Asura, and Preta in small triangle in the front, Deva in the middle, and Naraka in the back. Finally, he maneuvered the Human path, away from the group, so that it may provide backup elsewhere.

"No," came a shattered voice. Konan began to pick herself up, still heavy with thoughts of sadness, regret, and loss. She would fight this monster Nagato had become, for Nagato. "If you want to kill Jiraiya... then you will have go to through me," Konan said, finally regaining her composure, ready to fight, a fight she knew she would probably lose, but she would still give it her all.

Ma and Pa were still trying to comprehend what exactly transpired, but now knew this was going to be the last fight, so they prepared themselves. "Dinner is going to be late!" came a toad's distinct voice. "We're about to be in the fight of our lives and all you can think about is dinner!" Jiraiya sweat dropped at their antics. He knew this was not going to be an easy fight, but he couldn't help but ponder, perhaps they should just go after Nagato who was controlling all of these paths, but he resigned himself. He knew the paths themselves wouldn't let him or Konan get close, and only Konan knew, if she even did, where Nagato was.

Jiraiya finally picked himself up out of the rubble. "Hah, well I hope you know I still have some tricks up my sleeves _Pain_." The sage walked up to Konan's right side and entered his legendary toad-stance. _I could just leave, I now know the secret behind his technique but..._ He glanced towards Konan. _I think I owe her just a bit, and besides, this will be one hell of a story, even if I can't make it Icha-Icha_.

"Jiraiya-boy, notice what formation they're in?" Pa pointed out. "That one in the back, I'm betting that one is the one who revived the three we killed earlier." Fukasaku was concerned. He knew how difficult it would be to take out one, and if they got revived in the middle of combat, they would surely lose.

"Yeah," said the old voice of Ma, "also, one of them is missing! We don't know what it does-" Shima was interrupted by Konan, "The one that is missing is the Human path," Konan informed. "Do not let that one touch you, or you'll be dead." Konan knew Pain was taking this seriously. Using this kind of formation was unbeatable. The Animal and Asura paths attacks and the Preta path as defense alone was nearly impossible to combat, but with the other three...

Konan was worried. The more she looked on, the more she knew how impossible this fight was going to be. She would lose Jiraiya, she would die, Pain would destroy everything Nagato stood for... "Jiraiya-sensei... run... runaway now," Konan pleaded. Her voice still effected from her sorrow.

Jiraiya eyed Konan suspiciously, this was the second time she asked that of him today. "Look kid, I ain't leaving you for this fella, Kami knows this isn't gonna be easy, besides..." He ticked some blood off his thumb. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" the toad sage exclaimed. Then in the blink of an eye he was writing down something in a notepad with a pen that apparently came out of thin air. Finishing in a split second, he handed the notepad off to the miniature messenger toad, and sent it off to Konoha. "I did what I came here to do, anything else is a bonus," he claimed, his signature enthusiasm thick in his voice.

Nagato couldn't fathom that Konan, his angel, was willing going to combat Pain. They both knew how futile that was. He has never lost a battle, he is a God. It was folly. Through the Deva path he spoke, "You fight me, knowing you are going to die, why?" He was genuinely confused.

Konan, realizing that what he said was correct, despite Jiraiya staying. Why was she fighting, Jiraiya _was_ going to die at this point, she knew. She pondered why she was not afraid. She was almost anxious, even if that was pretty insane at this point. She lost everything in her life. Her parents, her brother Yahiko, and her lover Nagato. _Nagato_.

Flashing through her head were the memories of her lover who had died and turned into Pain, the emotionless husk. He was so loving, always offering his shoulder to cry on, always being polite, never backing away from a hug, his ideals _before_ everything happened... Before Yahiko died...

"Because..." she started, with total conviction. "That is what _Nagato_ would have done."

Nagato in his mechanical walker grasped his right hand to his heart, his eyes the sauce of saucers. Similarly, the Deva path took a step backwards in shock. Raised eyebrows and slightly gaping mouth were all visable. All of these emotions that he forgot were surfacing, he had to bury them. Pain did not have emotions. Emotions made a person weak, but still, he was curious. "Why then... Why do you choose _Nagato_ over Pain? Pain is stronger in every way!" The angry god claimed. "His emotions made him weak! His heart was only an obstacle in his path to peace!" He realized he was slipping, he had to keep his emotions in check. But why was it so hard to do now?

Konan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't you dare! His emotions made him the strongest person I knew!" She was furious at Pain for taunting her lover. "Nagato was always generous, he would sacrifice anything for his precious people, he would always protect them! He would always-" she paused, thinking, perhaps thinking a thought too good to be true. If she could, maybe, maybe everything would be okay, maybe they could still be together... "Nagato... I know there is still some of him left in you..." She talked carefully. "You felt betrayed by me... that's how I know Nagato is still alive!" Smiling as she continued. "Nagato please... it's not to late... please... come back to me... I _love_ you!"

Pulling her arms up to chest, she tried to relax. After saying everything she could think of, she could only wait for her beloved's, or Pain's response, she hoped for the first. Jiraiya could only look on in pride at Konan, she grew into such a fine lady, and was entirely dependable and a great ninja. The sage himself could see that Konan was right. Pain _was_ expressing emotions. They were small, but they were there. They would fight to bring _Nagato_ back he surmised.

In the halls of the great tower, a tear hit metal. Nagato's tear... on his mechanical walker... _Konan..._ he struggled... _Konan... I... _no!_ All that is left... is _PAIN! _Pain is unbeatable! Pain will bring peace! _Switching to the paths again, he collected himself. All of the paths rinnegans narrowing dangerously. "Fine then... I will show you why Pain is better than _Nagato_." He finished. Spitting the last word out.

Paper suddenly swirled around the angel, her wings materializing from all of the sheets that surrounded her. Jiraiya moved off to the left of Konan, figuring it would be a bad idea to be next to each other with how the he saw the Asura path work.

"I've had enough of this! **Shinra Tensei**!" suddenly a vicious, invisible force ripped through the air towards Jiraiya, who was sent slamming into the wall.

_What the hell was that! Holy shit! All my bones feel like they were just broken... damn..._ Ma and Pa were a bit shell shocked, but other than that were not effected by what just happened. _Hmm, with that smoke cloud he just put us in, we could just go in the water, maybe catch one off-guard, not the smartest move in the book by him_. He quickly put this plan into motion, after going under water summoned a toad and began work on a genjutsu that could take out one of the paths. He had to hope Konan could stand up to Pain until he could help again.

Meanwhile, with Konan, she tried to go up in the air, and circle Pain. If she was quick, the Deva path could not pull her in. She needed to get up in the air so she could set her plan into effect. She slammed her wings, sending herself upwards, and created a tro of clones.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**," the Animal path exclaimed, summoning a trio of disfigured hawks. He would send up them up to catch the various clones and with the bought time create a window where he could pull them in, all while sending in a barrage of missiles with his Asura path.

While not fond of mind games, she knew that was probably her only chance before she got quickly overwhelmed. Swallowing a lump in her throat, one of the clones shouted out, "Nagato please! This way to peace is not right! It won't help anything!" She waited for a visible response.

In rage, every single rinnegan immediately locked onto the clone. _Perfect..._ the real Konan simply made another clone and replaced herself with it. Her real self going to a certain tower in Ame. The rinnegan wielder quickly regained his composure, spreading his eyes across the battlefield, making sure nothing would get past him.

The Preta and Naraka path were on lookout for Jiraiya, while the Human path was somewhere else entirely. The three hawks were after one of the Konans, while the Asura path was locked on to another, the Deva path was trying to pull down whom he thought was the real Konan.

* * *

"Are you sure this is actually going to work? This is life and death you know!" came an annoyed toad, Ma was always cranky when dinner wasn't being served at around this time. "Look, this will only work once, but which one should we get?" the sage questioned. "I know I sure as heck do not want to deal with that summoning guy again," came the voice of Pa.

"**Katon: Fire Ball Jutsu**," came a thunderous voice under the water. The Preta path immediately moved to intercept it, saving the medic of the team. In a quick splash, a bunch of toad tongues grabbed onto the legs of the Animal path, sucking him into the water. Trapping him inside a toad. The path opened it's eyes to see that it was apparently inside the stomach of something, probably a toad.

"**Kuchiyose no Jut-**" the Animal path had no time to save itself when both hands were preoccupied in the Jutsu from Jiraiya's double, sage-powered Rasengan. The powerful blast rocked through the stomach, the body itself falling into gastric fluid. _That's one down, but that used up a lot of my chakra... I better get back to the surface before Konan is overwhelmed, but that should help a bit..._

* * *

Nagato was enraged even further, but it wasn't even at Jiraiya, he didn't exactly know what he was angry at. He was just getting so furious, and it was effecting is performance. Out on the field, with the Animal path dead, the trio of Hawks disappeared, but not before finally cornering the Konan clone and ripping it apart. With his fury, Nagato couldn't destroy everything quick enough. He decided to finally get Konan out of the skies. "**Bansho Tenin**!" This wasn't a small one like the many that were fired off against the singular Konan, this one pulled down the building around it. It was sure to connect on the two Konans that were circling.

The structure in which Jiraiya was knocked out of came toppling down, pulling down everything, including the two Konans in the sky. Taking the advantage that he knew where they were going, he had the Asura path launch a precise chakra cannon. The cannon connected to the clone, but Jiraiya appeared and use his Lion's mane jutsu to catch who he thought was the real Konan. The falling buildings providing the perfect cover as to which hide within.

With all the debris the four paths could not find the two adversaries. The Asura path resigned to blasting, somewhat randomly, in the general area where Pain thought they were at.

_Damn... I can't keep this up much longer! I'm almost out of chakra, I won't be able to sustain sage mode this low._ As if on queue, "Jiraiya-boy! This is getting too dangerous! You have to little chakra for us! You're going to start turning into a statue at this rate!" voiced Fukasaku, concerned. "It's okay... you guys have done enough... I can handle this from here on out..." Jiraiya said, trying to supress their concerns. "Alright... just be careful alright?!" The two toads left him. He knew he would be screwed. If they found him, it was over. Konan looked to be fine, but he wasn't sure how much she could do.

He didn't know the Konan he was with was actually a clone. The real Konan on her way to the husk of Nagato.

* * *

These were dark corridors she was familiar with. She had to go through them everyday, to serve Pain. A God apparently did need to eat and excrete after all. This time, she was going through them for a different reason. This time she would be trying to erase Pain, she would try to rescue her Nagato from the clutches of this evil Pain. Her clones didn't possess the memory transfer shadow clones did, so she had to pray that Jiraiya was okay, and that her clones delayed Pain long enough for the real one to get to the controller.

She was at the door to the 'control' room. A room where Pain and his mechanical walker resided when he was controlling the paths. She had only thought of the diversion and getting to the controller of Pain. She didn't actually know of what to say when she reached Nagato's husk. She was growing nervous.

She would do this. She would do this for Nagato. She waited far to long, she let her Nagato fall deeper and deeper down into darkness, and she suffered for it. Her suffering though, was irrelevant, Nagato must be suffering too... why else would he close off his emotions like this...

The angel opened the door, immediately eying the manifestation known as Pain. "**Shikigami Dance**," the origami specialist whispered, her body turning to paper sheets. The Uzumaki suddenly opened his eyes, breaking concentration on his paths, to see the intruder. It was to late, as he was already wrapped in paper.

She materialized before him, conviction visible in her eyes. "Nagato... can you hear me in there?" Konan asked, seemingly not talking to the red-head, but to something past him. The angel was startled to see a tear fall from who must have been Nagato. Only Nagato cried. But that was years ago.

"N-nagato... please... stop this..." Konan pleaded, tears forming in her own eyes at facing the love of her life.

Nagato closes his eyes. His arms were pulled together to his body, his visible body covered in paper. "W-why... why do you do this for N-nagato... Nagato let Yahiko die! Nagato is weak! Nagato doesn't have the power to... to bring peace..." the emaciated man croaked. "Isn't peace w-what you wanted Konan?! That's what... that is what Y-yahiko wanted..."

Konan could only shake her head, a small smile forming. "This... this isn't real peace Nagato... This is a fake! You can't use power to create peace! It will only create terror... this will only create more Pains! More people will want others to suffer!" Her smile only deepened as Nagato's eyes widened. "Yahiko... wouldn't want you to do this... I don't want you to do this... so please... come back to me Nagato... please come back to me as the Nagato I loved and remember!" Finally finishing with tears falling down her eyes, obvious hope stained her speech.

_Konan... I love you... Konan..._

Nagato finally found his voice, hearing his angel trying to change him... trying to erase Pain... was Pain really that bad? "K-konan... my angel... I... is that what you... really want? Nagato... I... I want to be Nagato... I don't want to be Pain..." He choked on his own words. "B-but... we're so close Konan! We only need two more jinchuuriki! Everything will be for nothing if we stop now... after I bring peace... I can be Nagato again... Konan..." He finished, his voice and heart full of emotions he hasn't felt in years.

Konan deeply frowned... it _was_ progress she supposed. Anything related to Pain only brought dark and evil memories. She hated everything about it. This was the most emotional she saw her Nagato in years. For the longest time all she could remember was dark, unforgiving, uncaring, and evil 'God' that stood in her nightmares. She shuddered.

"No... Nagato... I can't do this anymore..." she whimpered. "After so many years... of... being ignored" she croaked, falling to her knees, letting go of the paper that bound Nagato. "I want... I want to be told things like 'Good night Konan,' so I won't have these nightmares... I want a shoulder to... cry on so I d-don't have t-to h-hold it in a-anymore..." Tears stung in her eyes, a feeling of intense grief that she has never felt before... it couldn't even compare to when Yahiko died.

Nagato could only stare in horror. He had caused this to his angel? She cared for him for years, and this is how he had repaid it. It was all true. Ever since Yahiko's death, he has withdrawn his emotions as much as possible. He was never there for her, he never offered anything to her, no kindness, no courtesy, nothing.

_Konan... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry... sorry._

The angel was still on the floor, crying her heart out. "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!" she suddenly screeched, piercing the rinnegan-bearer's thoughts. "D-do you know... do you know h-how I felt when you told me to... to kill J-j-jiraiya-sen-sensei when he first entered the village?" she questioned sadly. "He... he w-was the father we never had... he saved us and h-h am I supposed to r-repay him... I'm supposed to k-k-kill him!"

Nagato couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't handle the sight of his angel on the floor, pouring her heart out, which he squeezed and squeezed. He was a monster. He would do anything to make this right. He would do anything she wanted, anything to see her smile again, to see her happy.

_I don't care about it anymore... I... I just want to see her happy... I'll do anything for her..._

While she had fallen on her knees, holding them with her own hands and crying into them, Nagato had climbed out of his walker, the walker which his angel had labored and built for him, while he had given her nothing in return. After all she's done for him, not even has he given love for the longest time, but he knew he loved her more than life itself. She didn't even notice him getting out of the walker, she was shocked when he slipped a pair of comforting arms around her, holding her, offering his shoulder for her.

"N-nagato?" the angel asked suddenly, startled.

Nagato knew he had to try and do something. He would not let her sit there, crying to herself, over what he had done to her. He would help her. "I'm sorry..." he stated in a low voice. "I'm so sorry... Konan... Konan... angel... I'm so sorry... I love you..." just barely managing to choke out the words, there were many, many more he wanted to say. "I wish... I wish I could take it all back... I'm so sorry I hurt you Konan... I'll stop... I'll be the Nagato you love..."

Konan was stunned, this was totally not what she had expected, she made a mistake by dropping the paper, _Pain_ could have slaughtered her if he was there. But Nagato was there instead, so it wasn't a mistake. "Nagato... thank... you..." she embraced the man, maneuvering her hands through the fiendish black rods protruding through his back, but still ever so thankful to be with her Nagato again.

"No... angel... I'll do whatever you want... I w-was-am a m-monster. I'm sorry... I'll stop everything... we... we can run away together Konan, where it doesn't rain, _we_ can be at _peace_, I love you..." Nagato could only hope those words would help her.

"Nagato... d-do you really mean that...?" she asked, the most hopeful she had ever been in her life.

Nagato smiled, a genuine smile, the first one in years. "Of course I do!" Wherever they went together, life would be okay from this point on, they would truly have each other, and there would be no more pain.

* * *

The pair sat there for a good half an hour, crying into each others shoulders, which was awkward for Jiraiya. Before the real Konan disabled Nagato. He and 'Konan' were discovered when the Deva path used a **Shinra Tensei** to clear the debris.

Jiraiya had instantly jumped away but was caught by the Preta path, having to avoid missles launched by the Asura path, with his very little chakra being drained as the Asura path approaching with his hand transformed into a dagger, he thought he was screwed. All while the Deva, and Naraka paths walked towards the Konan clone, the Deva path using **Bansho Tenin** to grasp at the girls neck. Then the girl suddenly disappeared into many paper sheets, and all of the paths falling down, the Preta releasing their grip as the Asura disengaged its weapons.

_Well shit... That was close... _ He decided, right then and there, that he needed a nap.

* * *

"Nagato..." she whispered, amazed, overjoyed. She had her Nagato back. She looked deeply into his rippled rinnegan eyes, as if peering into his soul. It was easy to get lost in those eyes she surmised. That didn't matter though. "Nagato... J-jiraiya-sensei still out where we fought..." Konan pointed out.

A flash of regret crossed Nagato's face. His sensei. He did more than simply betray him. He wasn't sure if he could face his sensei again. "Okay... I'll get back in the walker and I'll go there..." he stated.

"Okay... here I'll help you in..." she offered. That offer only getting a show of sadness in his face. His angel was there, offering her help, _again_. At least this time he would say something.

"Thank you, Konan." Smiling as he said those three simple words, they did have a profound effect on her. Her heart could have burst with joy.

"Okay.. I'll go out and find Jiraiya and..." she stopped, not sure if Nagato would approve of what she was about to ask her love... "Nagato... I... I want to go to Konoha." She decided to stop talking there, which was probably a good idea.

Konoha. The country which murdered his and and his angel's parents. Started the war, caused Yahiko's death. He only gave a sad smile. "I hear it's changed a bit," came Nagato's voice, which completely shocked Konan, who had expected a very distinct 'No' as an answer. "Just... I will not... tolerate anyone hurting you... I love you... and whatever you want to do, I do too." Nagato reassured.

"I'll see you outside in a minute Konan, goodbye," the rinnegan bearer kindly said.

Konan smiled as she walked out, but took immediate notice of the corpse in the corner. She widened her eyes for a moment. That was the Human path. She shivered for a moment, realizing how close to failure she was, if she was a moment to slow when she first subdued Nagato, she would have been stopped right then and there.

* * *

_Seventy-two virgins huh?_ Jiraiya was starting to stir in his sleep against a piece of the rubble of the demolished building. Opening his eyes a little, he saw Konan and what appeared to be Nagato in a big mechanical machine, which also seemed to have the corpse of Yahiko stored on it.

"We want to go to Konoha, Jiraiya-sensei, can we? Please? Sensei?" Konan asked, joy in her voice that her teacher had survived the ordeal uninjured.

Jiraiya stared blankly. _She must have gotten to Nagato then, opened his eyes._ The sage was genuinely happy. He'll be returning with two of old students, never mind the fact that they are the leaders of the Akatsuki. _Tsunade's gonna be pissed, but I don't care!_

"Sure, kids, I just need a... little rest," he answered, before falling back to sleep.

* * *

So, thoughts? Rushed? What did I do wrong? What did I do right? Did I rush where I made things OOC without buildup to quick? :O

Gonna try and do this regularly...

I sort of feel like I should change the story picture...

Please review or PM if there's a glaring mistake, I'd fix those.


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